Page 10 of Rescuing Royce
“I say, thank you, Mav. And for the record, I wouldn’t have shot you. I know you’re only looking out for me. Besides, I don’t want Kelsey hunting me down to the ends of the earth for payback.” Amber grinned then let out a laugh.
She followed Maverick to the VIP area, but not before she looked back for another peek. Yeah, he probably wasn’t someone she should pursue, but damn he made her want things she’d only fantasized about. But as much as she wanted him, she also wanted more than just one night. She wasn’t built for one-night stands.
She tried to put her feelings and her body’s desire for Royce on the back burner, but she had a distinct feeling she’d be a failure at both.
6
Royce downed a bottle of water. It did little to cool him down as he watched Amber escape the close call with Tyson. He’d thought about going over himself. Thankfully Maverick stepped in quick because he knew he’d end up burying his fist in the jerk’s face. His sister didn’t need that kind of publicity. Neither did he.
So, for the next hour, he made sure Tyson didn’t circle around and try for another shot at Amber. She stayed in the VIP section and was surrounded by Reese, Connor, and her boss, Caris, and her husband Blake Anderson, the Outlaw’s Manager. The group also included the rest of their tight circle of friends, their wives, and girlfriends.
He relaxed, knowing none of the players would let anything or anyone bother her again tonight. He roamed the outer perimeter of the dance floor and tried to put Amber’s face and her body out of his head. He wanted her, but it was laced with something different; something new. He’d desired other women sure, but with her, it was… maddening.
When he looked at her, he saw more than someone to hook up with.
Hell, he hadn’t even spoken to her more than polite greetings, and small talk, so why was he contemplating some kind of future where they could make it work beyond a quick slap and tickle?
“Royce, you look stressed. What’s up?” His sister offered him a soft drink. “Anything I need to know about?”
He could tell her the cliff note version, but knowing Reese, she might pick up on his personal interest in Amber. He’d barely admitted to himself, let alone his sister, that what he was feeling for the curvy office manager went beyond pure lust.
Maybe his interest in Amber was simply because she seemed to always be around. In his real life, not the after dark quest for a hard and fast release where the women understood he was a one-time deal?
For whatever reason, when he looked at Amber, he sensed there was potential. And that was more dangerous than any perp with a knife in one hand and a revolver in the other during a twelve-hour standoff.
Royce remained silent and looked over to where Amber had been sitting earlier. The group had pretty much dispersed, but Connor, Maverick, and Luke, the team’s catcher, were kicked back sharing one last drink. Who could blame them for wanting to keep the celebration going? They’d earned it.
“Hey, c’mon, what’s bugging you? You forget, I know how to read you. And it has nothing to do with missing a stupid workout. Is it a woman? No, don’t tell me. It’s probably two women. Decisions, decisions, right?”
“No, everything’s good. And yes, I skipped my usual trip to the gym this morning. You know how I get cranky if I can’t punch something.”
“Hmm… so no, ‘stay out of my business, sis?’ What’s really going on?” Reese laid her head on his shoulder. “You know I’m a great listener.”
Royce was almost ready to spill a part of his dilemma, and he’d keep Amber’s name out of it, but as he opened his mouth, a kid in his early twenties burst through the main entrance. He gasped for a breath and held up his arm, pointing behind him, “Hey, some guy has a girl… he’s got a gun… outside…somebody call 911.”
Royce strode over to the kid. “Where?”
“Down the street, next to the empty lot, the...the one they turned into a mini-park… he dragged her towards the alley. And man, is she screaming.”
Reese laid a hand on Royce’s arm, “I’ve got dispatch on the line now. They said they already received another call.”
“Keep everyone inside, lock the door behind me.” Royce ran toward the entrance and turned back to his sister. “No one, Reese. No one leaves until the PD calls all clear.”
“Wait! You’re not armed.”
“You sure about that, sis?” Royce lifted his pant leg and retrieved his Glock-27 from his ankle holster. He pushed through the door, sprinted across the street, and kept to the inside of the sidewalk. He ran down Main all the way to the corner. Muffled screaming reached him. Then the sound of a man yelling out in pain.
Sirens roared in the distance. Too far, he calculated; he needed to act—now. He made his way from the building next to the park and hooked a right into the open space. Empty. A lone streetlight illuminated the area. It didn’t quite do its job. He crept along the building, his Glock at the ready. When he reached the end of the wall as it met the alleyway, he stopped and listened.
“You just couldn’t listen, could you bitch? You had to scream.”
A muffled response. Royce couldn’t make out the words but knew it was a woman.
“All I wanted was some fun. But nope, you didn’t want to play. Well, now we’re both in trouble. Stop it! Ow!”
The kidnapper’s voice sounded familiar... Shit, he knew that whiny tone.
Fuck, it was Tyson.
